USAID is leading the U.S. Government’s effort to enhance international aid transparency, and foster increased development efficacy and accountability.

In 2011, the U.S. Government became a signatory to International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) — a voluntary program that encourages governments, NGOs and other international aid organizations to make information about foreign aid spending easier to access, use and understand. IATI developed a standard for publishing up-to-date foreign assistance spending data in a common, open format that allows for comparison across organizations.

To make U.S. government data on development more transparent, anyone on the internet can visit foreignassistance.gov to see the geographic areas and sectors where funds are invested.

USAID was not satisfied with this level of transparency, however, and in June 2014, investigated the costs of fulfilling additional IATI reporting requirements. This week we are publishing an IATI Cost Management Plan that provides a detailed roadmap on how USAID will share more data about the work we do.

We are already seeing results. USAID’s score on Publish What You Fund’s 2015 Aid Transparency Review jumped by more than 20 points this year, propelling USAID from the “fair” to the “good” category. One big improvement is “standardized sector coding” which allows users to easily compare USAID funding data with that of other donors.

Improving data quality and accessibility is only the first component of USAID’s efforts to be more transparent. Educating and connecting stakeholders to data that they can leverage to improve their programs is also critical. Transparency allows citizens and civil society organizations to hold governments accountable and spurs participatory development and local ownership as highlighted in this video on efforts in Ghana and Zambia.

So we ask: How can we continue to improve data supply, demand and use? We encourage members of the development community and the general public to send their comments and suggestions to our team at aidtransparency@usaid.gov.

Moving forward, we want to do even better.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alex Thier is USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Policy, Planning and Learning. Follow him @Thieristan , Angelique Crumbly is the Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Management

In a new Q&A series, we are profiling the experts who have worked tirelessly to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa and are helping societies rebuild and strengthen health systems in the aftermath of the outbreak.

Eric King holds up a handprint to echo the wall of handprints from Ebola survivors at the Bong County Treatment Unit in Liberia. Eric King worked to coordinate the flow of data for the international humanitarian response in Liberia for two months last Winter. / Ellie Van Houtte, USAID

Eric King, an innovation specialist with the Digital Development Team in the Global Development Lab, worked on USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in Liberia for two months in 2015, working to coordinate the flow of critical data. He came to USAID in September 2013 with a doctorate in Planetary Physics. Follow him @eric_m_king.

What innovations have been developed to combat Ebola?

Almost every aspect of the Ebola response has been innovative. We have never before fought a disease this deadly on this kind of scale. Response teams have had to educate remote communities, meticulously seek out new Ebola cases, provide new facilities for isolating and treating patients, safely bury infected bodies while observing local customs, and all on a massive scale and with no time to lose.

All of these efforts are critical to preventing further spread of the disease. To be successful, trust and solidarity must be created between responders and the communities they work in. Those relationships are fostered by weaving strong communication lines – including feedback loops – into the response network, often helped by harnessing existing technologies like radio and mobile phones.

How will the role that science and technology played in this response affect the way we approach future emergencies?

Among the technological tools that have amplified the Ebola response, arguably none has been more helpful than the mobile phone.

A decade ago, a small percentage of West Africans had access to cellphones. Now, mobile phones allow us to connect those in need with those who can help. Families of the sick can call emergency Ebola hotlines, social mobilizers can share tips for community engagement, individuals can resolve Ebola rumors by texting local radio stations, health workers can be paid electronically, and clinics can flag when they’re low on supplies.

The unique communications needs of the Ebola response have tested and ultimately strengthened the connections between all the many people and organizations that come together in times of emergency.

Technology is a key component of managing information on the Ebola virus. A local dispatcher records 115 Ebola hotline responses at a community health office in Guinea, above left. Contract tracers also use mobile phones in the field to collect data for reporting, above right. / Eric King, USAID

In a crisis, efficiently managing the flow of information is key. How did USAID rapidly get things to where they were needed?

USAID’s logistics professionals have decades of experience managing supply chains in complex emergencies, ensuring that critical commodities like food, water, and medical supplies are available to those who need them, and they’re really good at it. Similarly, we recognize the importance of ensuring that actionable information is available when and where it’s needed.

For example, ambulance teams need to know where to find the sick as soon as they show symptoms so they can be quickly isolated and treated. Contact tracing teams need to know where to find those who have recently been in contact with confirmed Ebola patients so they can monitor them for symptoms. Food distribution teams need to know where to find at-risk households who have volunteered to stay at home to protect their neighbors so that they can deliver necessary supplies.

During the Ebola response, USAID deployed an information management advisor to work with local government and partners to coordinate the flow of information throughout the response network. These efforts are often amplified by integrating proven digital technologies and mobile data tools.

As a member of an Ebola case investigation team in Liberia, Justina M. Morris interviews people who may have been in contact new patients to control and monitor the disease. Information gathering is an important component of USAID’s Ebola fighting strategy. / Neil Brandvold, USAID

USAID believes in tapping the ingenuity of nontraditional sources. How did this play a role in the Ebola response?

USAID launched the Ebola Grand Challenge, the first-ever open innovation platform for a disaster response. Through the challenge, anyone anywhere could offer a solution for how to better fight Ebola. We received more than 1,500 applications from individuals and organizations from all over the world, many of whom had never worked with USAID. From all of these diverse, creative ideas, 15 innovations have been selected to receive support.

The porous nature of borders can make tracking and containing Ebola difficult. How did the international community work to counter this?

When Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf announced in February that the country’s land borders were reopening, response organizations worked with the Liberian government to quickly develop and deploy a set of best practices for border health security.

This involved two major components: border screening and community surveillance. People passing through official border crossings are screened for signs of Ebola in order to identify, isolate, test, and treat those who may be infected.

This is a vital first step, but we also recognize that there will inevitably be travellers that cross the border unofficially. So, we’ve also brought communities near the borders into the formal surveillance process — effectively crowdsourcing an Ebola alert system.

Furthermore, communities on either side of the border are working together to make sure that communication channels are available to alert one another.

Amid the Ebola crisis, many stories have emerged describing heroic aid efforts and acts of bravery. What stories touched you most?

I’ve found inspiration in the selfless dedication of the medical professionals who put themselves at risk and extreme discomfort to treat those in need. Working in full protective equipment in sweltering heat and humidity, they have been tirelessly and skillfully fighting to save as many lives as they can.

In some treatment units, some of the Ebola patients themselves began helping to provide care for the other patients who were suffering most. And some Ebola survivors, now immune, have organized themselves to work with health professionals to provide care to those in need. It inspires me to see such compassion and solidarity emerge from this unprecedented tragedy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clara Wagner was an intern for USAID’s Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs working on content and public engagement.

To celebrate the month of Ramadan, USAID employees and members of the community came together for an Iftar dinner. / Robb Hohmann,

For me, working at USAID goes beyond the mundane: It helps to deepen and solidify my faith.

As a Muslim employee, I am privileged to work for an agency that promotes many of the same core values that my faith inspires in me. Last night’s Iftar dinner hosted by USAID represented the best of those values: partnerships reinforced by good intentions and an elevated desire to help those less fortunate across the globe.

USAID has been hosting annual Iftar dinners in Washington for over a decade. These events bring USAID leadership and staff together with NGOs and religious leaders to meet and celebrate our partnerships. Through these partnerships, we strive to alleviate the suffering of the neediest and to raise the quality of life for so many around the world.

To celebrate the work of USAID’s many partners to end hunger in communities around the world, Islamic Relief-USA CEO Anwar Khan was invited to deliver remarks during the Iftar celebration. / Robb Hohmann, USAID

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world reflect on their many blessings while abstaining from food and water during the daylight hours. For most Muslims, it’s a challenge of spiritual and physical discipline, but one made easier by the certainty of a fortifying meal at sunset.

However, as we broke our fast last evening, I was reminded of the nearly 1 billion people across the globe who face hunger on a daily basis—200 million of them children. Their hunger is without end; not of choice, but of desperation. During Ramadan, fasting gives Muslims a degree of empathy with the less fortunate—and it can move us to do more.

Today, the United States supplies 46 million people with food aid. President Obama’s Feed the Future initiative has hit its stride by improving nutrition for 12 million children and helping nearly 7 million farmers grow their way out of poverty. The partners attending last night’s Iftar help us deliver that food aid and improve the lives of communities around the world without regard for race or religion.

While the focus last night was on the work that USAID does in Muslim communities, our partnerships go well beyond that. Hunger and suffering afflict all and all need to be involved in the response. Events like last night’s Iftar dinner help to celebrate the progress we have made, but we are also inspired to continue the hard work that remains.

As we broke our fast and soothed our hunger in the company of so many who share a common goal, my resolve increased to do more to help those who remain hungry: to make sure they have access to clean water, basic education, economic opportunities and good governance.

I am thankful that my work allows me to wake up each morning and do just that every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Croshelle Harris-Hussein is a career foreign service officer currently serving in Washington, but on her way to Abuja, Nigeria. Croshelle also heads the USAID Muslims Employee Resource Group (UMERG).

A young girl plays with her doll outside her family’s tent at Camp Hope. More than 330 families from the Sindhupalchowk district are taking temporary shelter at the camp. / Kashish Das Shrestha, USAID

The summer sun is scorching the ground beneath our feet, and it is barely past 7:30 in the morning.

We move to a perch on an elevated platform, shaded by a large old tree. From here, we see a sweeping, yet jarring view. A horizon line of neat concrete houses, dotted with seasonal potted plants on their roofs, stands in stark contrast to fabric roofs covered in plastic tarp that dot the landscape in the foreground.

“We had to move,” said Sukra Tamang, an 18-year-old who now lives at Camp Hope with his family. “With all the debris and the ground shaking constantly, there was no space to even rest our feet.”

The April 25 earthquake and aftershocks displaced more than 500,000 families, uprooting the foundations of their homes and turning the hill terrain that supported their villages into rubble.

Camp Hope demonstrates the positive outcomes that are possible when private and public sector partners work together.

Tents made of materials strong enough to withstand monsoon season are built at Camp Hope for families displaced from their homes by the April 25 earthquake. / Kashish Das Shrestha, USAID

Welcome to Camp Hope

At the camp’s main gate, young volunteers check and register all visitors before they are allowed to enter. Inside, a group of senior citizens, already freshened up and dressed for the day, bask in the morning sun as chickens cluck as they scurry past them.

Camp Hope is alive and teeming with activities. It looks, feels, and even sounds like a village. Murmurs of conversation fill the air, people line up at the hand water pump, and children fill open spaces with laughter and play. A group of women wash clothes as the din of construction echoes in the background.

Built on a community football ground, Camp Hope is an exemplary model of private-sector led humanitarian assistance – a clear demonstration of the impact that is possible when the private sector engages with other partners.

“When we wanted to start a camp for these communities, we couldn’t get any government land,” says Sangeeta Shrestha, camp founder and operator of Dwarika, a boutique heritage hotel, owned by her family. “A local youth club came offering their football ground, so here we are.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) soon stepped in with additional support. Heavy-duty plastic sheeting provided by USAID was utilized to create shelters that are strong enough to endure the monsoon season. In addition to building temporary homes for displaced families at Camp Hope, USAID provided shelter and protection for approximately 310,000 Nepalis across earthquake affected districts.

A full-stocked kitchen offers three meals a day for residents of Camp Hope. / Kashish Das Shrestha, USAID

A partnership of hospitality

There are many advantages when a world-class hotel owner steps in to lead and manage a shelter like Camp Hope.

“We always have a lot of resources at our disposal, and I am lucky to have my hotel team of engineers and technicians whom I could call on to help set up the camp,” said Sangeeta, who now manages the camp full-time.

Adding a bit of comfort to the lives of displaced villagers, the camp offers a fully stocked kitchen and store room tent that is maintained by Sangeeta’s hotel. Camp residents are offered chicken once a week and eggs twice a week during their meals.

While shelter, food, and basic medical services address the physical needs of residents, their social and emotional needs are also important. Camp Hope offers a variety of programs and spaces to help residents as they heal. A prayer tent allows the community to continue their spiritual rituals in a minimalist manner. In the afternoon, women in the camp engage in sewing, knitting and other crafts in a facility has been set up for training. The camp also enrolled 83 children in a local school and regularly schedules field trips for youth.

“The plan, we hope, is to build back their villages so they can return to their communities,” said Sangeeta as she discusses what the future might hold for Camp Hope.

Camp Hope is designed to be a safe and comfortable space for residents. / Kashish Das Shrestha, USAID

Looking Ahead: Charting a roadmap to rebuild a better Nepal

But, returning home for many of the residents of Camp Hope will be a challenge. Questions remain, about when, if, and how rebuilding of some villages may happen. Massive landslides during the April 25 earthquake completely destroyed many communities.

A discussion about the road forward—for vulnerable villages in the most affected regions and across the country—is at the forefront as the Government of Nepal convenes key donors and development stakeholders together at this week’s International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction.

As Nepal’s longest standing development partner, U.S government’s commitment to Nepal has stood the test of time. Our pledge at this week’s International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction increases the total amount of U.S. emergency relief and early recovery assistance to $130 million, and is only the beginning of our contribution to Nepal’s earthquake recovery, which will span multiple years.

As recovery efforts continue, aid and investments from the U.S. Government will support efforts to get the most impacted people back on their feet and to create a Nepal that is more resilient in the future.

We will train Nepalis to rebuild seismically-stable houses in affected areas.

We will help build temporary learning centers for children who are learning outside in makeshift tents. Efforts are underway to establish approximately 1,000 Temporary Learning Centers in earthquake affected districts.

We are helping people rebuild livelihoods by injecting cash and strengthening agricultural systems, the economic lifeblood for nearly 75 percent of the population of Nepal. USAID has already jump started early recovery— our resilience and livelihood program is distributing cash for work to the hardest-hit families, so they can begin the enormous task of rebuilding damaged homes and much-needed infrastructure.

We will continue to protect Nepal’s most vulnerable, including those susceptible to human trafficking.

We will lay the foundations for a more resilient Nepal by building institutions that can respond effectively to future disasters.

All of these efforts, along with support leveraged from the private sector, can and will help build back a better Nepal.

RELATED LINKS:

With an inspiring message about peace and non-violence, Eduardo Umanzor performs at a Community Heroes event organized by USAID. / Photo Courtesy Eduardo Umanzor

Growing up in a middle-class neighborhood in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in the 1990s, the only concern I had was being yelled at or spanked by my parents because I was out late riding my bicycle or playing with kids in the street.

Today, it is a different story.

San Pedro Sula is now one of the most dangerous cities outside of a war zone, with a homicide rate about seven times higher than what health experts consider to be an epidemic. Some have dubbed my hometown “the murder capital of the world.” It fills me with deep sadness to see the city devolve into such violence.

So when the staff of USAID’s Alianza Joven program contacted my band Montuca Sound System to write the theme song for the campaign “Sí podemos Sampedranos”– or “Yes, we can, citizens of San Pedro Sula” — I felt honored. I saw it as a huge opportunity to give hope to a lot of young people through song.

At the time, my band had just become very popular across Honduras thanks to a contract with a mobile phone company, which beamed us into people’s homes with jingles we wrote for TV commercials. I was happy to use my newfound influence to raise social consciousness.

The 2011 launch of the “Sí podemos Sampedranos” campaign to end violence in San Pedro Sula coincided with the development of a Municipal Violence Prevention Plan and the construction of new outreach centers for at-risk youth.

Through nearly 50 youth outreach centers in seven Honduran cities, USAID’s Alianza Joven Honduras program, implemented by Creative Associates, offers a variety of activities to keep young people away from gangs and drugs. The youth outreach centers serve as safe spaces in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country.

By participating in sports, art, school tutoring, life skills coaching, volunteerism and job training, vulnerable youth are developing the skills they need to live a better life.

Musician Eduardo Umanzor is inspiring young fans to take pride in their communities through uplifting songs. / Photo Courtesy Eduardo Umanzor

I’ve been impressed with the success of the outreach centers in bringing hope to the community. Many of my songs are about restoring pride in San Pedro Sula and bringing more love and peace to the city and youth. I’m always happy to sing them at graduation ceremonies and community talent shows with youth from the neighborhoods where Alianza Joven works.

Music can be a powerful force for social change. As soon as I get on stage and start singing the song “Un Poco De Amor,” which says, “Honduras needs a little bit of love,” I see the way my fans sing along. I see the way they feel inspired. Then they come to me and say, “Eduardo, these songs help me feel positive about the future.”

I sensed a burgeoning social movement while playing in my past band, Montuca Sound System, several years ago. I was writing songs about bloodshed, injustice and inequality in Honduras, and I saw how that led my friends and other kids my age to open their eyes and become interested in politics.

It’s hard to believe, but a lot of the people that I knew didn’t know they were living in such a troubled place.

I’m optimistic about the future for Honduras. Two and a half years ago, I had the chance to visit my sister in Bogota, Colombia, a city that once struggled with high rates of violent crime. My brother-in-law told me stories of how dangerous the area used to be, the near-constant fear he felt growing up, not knowing when a car was going to explode. You couldn’t feel safe anywhere.

Today, Bogota is beautiful, and not for one second during my stay did I feel unsafe. The transformation Bogota underwent gives me hope for the future of San Pedro Sula. It’s a matter of the community coming together to figure out what’s wrong and then working hard to fix those problems.

It’s never too late to start again for a new beginning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eduardo Umanzor is a singer and songwriter in Honduras. Follow him @EduardoUmanzor_

Children play in the streets of the Hittein Refugee Camp in Zarqa, Jordan. / USAID Jordan

Today, in honor of World Refugee Day, USAID recognizes the strength and resilience of the more than 60 million people around the world who flee war, persecution, and human rights abuses in pursuit of safety and stability.

The world is facing an extraordinary time of conflict and crisis— the number of refugees and displaced persons globally is at its highest point since World War II. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that 90,000 refugees seeking safer, more prosperous shores have risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean by boat in 2015.

World Refugee Day marks an opportunity for the international community to recognize the plight of these uprooted families across the globe.

This year’s theme is ‘Get to Know a Refugee – Ordinary People Living through Extraordinary Times.’ The goal is to remind us that refugees are just like everyone else, that their borderless status is not the only thing that defines them.

As many advocates and international development professionals know, more than anything refugees seek normalcy – whether it is a traditional meal that reminds them of home or ensuring that their children continue their education.

The story behind the journey

A mission trip working with Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic inspired my own personal identification and commitment to refugees.

After witnessing the social exclusion and instability that new refugees face, I knew that I wanted to help them re-establish their lives. With the resolve to protect the human rights of refugees, I became a resettlement caseworker for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a USAID partner dedicated to serving refugees.

As a member of the reception team, I was the first point of contact for refugees arriving in the United States. I greeted refugees at the airport, helped them settle into their new homes, and connected them to vital social services.

I learned that refugees have two stories: one of their past and one of the future they dream of. Both are incredibly unique and complex. Understanding their background stories helped me bridge their worlds together.

I remember taking the bus with one of my clients to show him his travel route home. As a young refugee from the Near East, he told me his friends couldn’t believe he made it. His mom didn’t sleep for the two nights while he traveled to America.

He had watched a lot of American movies and he said that he felt like he was living in one. Although he had been in the United States only four days, he already visited a friend several hours away to prove that he could get lost and find his way back. Like myself, he left home at 17 to pursue his education and career, and had an insatiable sense of wanderlust.

As we shared our hopes for the future, we were colleagues, compatriots, and comrades. I encouraged him to not give up, because even with an education, achieving success in the U.S. takes patience and perseverance.

Although it has been many years since I personally greeted refugees with the IRC, their stories continue to influence my work in international development.

Former USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah travelled to Kenya in July 2011, to assess the drought situation and the humanitarian response. Here he speaks with the chairwoman of a community effort to distribute food and clothes to new arrivals at Dadaab refugee camp. / Anna Gohmann, USAID

A commitment to the human rights of refugees

USAID is working around the world to support refugees by giving them dignity and opportunity as they regain normalcy in their new lives.

From Syrian refugees in Jordan to Rohingha refugees in Bangladesh, USAID equips families with the resources and support they need to meet their basic needs despite the extraordinary struggles they face every day.

The civil war in Syria has resulted in the world’s largest refugee population. Since 2011, more than four million Syrians have been displaced to neighboring countries. Through innovative food assistance programs USAID is providing electronic vouchers and regionally purchased food to refugees. With access to local ingredients, refugees can cook traditional meals—a small comfort that helps them feel more at home in an unfamiliar environment.

In Thailand, USAID is working with the IRC and other partners to provide long-term health programs for as more than 100,000 Burmese refugees. More than two million people from Burma have been displaced due to political instability and human rights violations. The USAID Support to Health, Institution Building, Education, and Leadership in Policy Dialogue (SHIELD) project provides access to essential health services and education for migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons living on the Thailand-Burma border.

As we work to end extreme poverty, our Agency is committed to ensuring that every person, everywhere, feels safe, protected, and has the opportunity to thrive. Helping refugees and ensuring they are able to regain quality lives across the world is critical to this mission.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer S. Kim, Program Support Specialist in USAID’s Center of Excellence for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center).

RELATED LINKS:

Learn about our support for families affected by the conflict in Syria.

Senior Ebola Coordinator Denise Rollins, Associate Administrator Eric Postel, and National Security Council Senior Advisor Chris Kirchhoff listen as a staff member from the International Organization for Migration provides a tour of a mock-Ebola treatment unit in Freetown, Sierra Leone. / Kate Alexander, USAID

Imagine being in a house with 15 family members, and watching them all gradually die from Ebola.

This was Gibril Kamara’s reality.

Last month in Sierra Leone, Gibril shared his harrowing ordeal with our visiting team from Washington, D.C. As the senior coordinator of USAID’s Africa Ebola Unit, I was traveling with USAID Associate Administrator Eric Postel and others in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea — the three countries most affected by Ebola — to see USAID’s efforts on the ground, meet with officials, and hear from communities.

We met Gibril and three other Ebola survivors at the International Organization for Migration’s Ebola healthcare training center in Freetown. They told us their stories of resilience amid a devastating public health crisis.

Gibril recounted how at first his family members thought the symptoms they exhibited could have been caused by any number of diseases. However, Gibril knew the telltale signs of Ebola.

He pleaded with his family to go to a medical facility, but the patriarch of the family refused to allow them to leave. While the fear of stigma permeated the air, the patriarch insisted everyone stay at home and not seek outside help.

First, one sister died, then another, then uncles and aunts, and finally the patriarch himself.

Gibril decided he would not be next.

On the brink of succumbing to Ebola himself, Gibril made his way in a taxi to a hospital for medical care. With proper Ebola treatment and care, Gibril survived.

Although Liberia reached zero Ebola cases just days before my arrival in country, Sierra Leone and Guinea continue to see new cases weekly, and stories like Gibril’s are still common.

Through the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), USAID continues to work alongside partners in all three countries to fight the spread of the disease. After hearing Gibril’s story, I stood in the middle of an Ebola command center in Freetown and was awestruck by the vast number of people, computers and teams needed to respond to the Ebola outbreak. The extensive coordination required to contain and defeat the disease is daunting.

From the surveillance teams and the social mobilization groups who go door to door identifying people with fever, to the ambulance drivers, health care workers and safe burial teams, everyone must work in lockstep.

Such a complicated effort is not easy in the best of circumstances, but in three of the poorest countries in the world, where the people without electricity outnumber those that have it, effective coordination is a challenge. I doff my hat to the thousands of U.S. and local staff and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly.

Students of Infection Prevention and Control and Midwifery Training programs greet the USAID delegation in Kindia, Guinea. / Kate Alexander, USAID

Since August 2014, USAID has converged an unprecedented array of people, equipment, financing and other resources to these Ebola-affected countries.

Thanks to the international community and local partners, we are easing the burdens of the citizens of these countries. As we work together to fight Ebola and lessen the secondary impacts of the outbreak, we are serving as an example of worldwide collaboration at its best.

Getting to zero Ebola cases is critical and the goal for USAID is helping these countries end the epidemic, get back on track, and be better prepared to stop any future outbreaks before they become epidemics.

Weak health care systems suffered major setbacks during the Ebola outbreak, but now USAID is helping improve the ability to detect threats early, and respond rapidly and effectively to prevent the spread of Ebola and other viruses across borders.

In addition to support rebuilding and strengthening healthcare systems, we are also helping reopen schools and stimulate local food production.

Gibril’s world was turned upside down when he lost his entire family. However — like so many other Ebola survivors — Gibril was resilient.

Resilience is such an overused word, but it captures the spirit, commitment and dedication of the citizens of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to get back on their feet after this devastating public health crisis.

Many survivors, like Gibril and the others I spoke with at the National Ebola Training Academy, now volunteer their time as trainers, health care workers and social mobilizers — helping other patients recover from their battles with the virus, while spreading awareness about Ebola prevention.

In turn, USAID will continue to support the people of West Africa. Ebola doesn’t disappear at zero, and neither will our fight to keep Ebola away.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Rollins is the senior coordinator of the Africa Ebola Unit at USAID.

I recently attended an event organized by Fundación Saraki, the leading disability rights organization in Paraguay. The event was intended to raise awareness and support for their activities, but it ended up teaching people like me about the world people with disabilities live in.

After I arrived at the Hotel Guarani, I was forced to walk up the stairs to the main event room, rather than use the elevators. Organizers wanted guests to experience the inconveniences that many people with physical disabilities encounter every day. Reaching the second floor with my high heels and a loaded backpack was challenging — imagine what it must be like for someone in a wheelchair?

At the entrance to the venue, I registered … with a tiny pen that would be too small for even my son’s small hands, and on a paper that was placed on a registration desk that was only a foot tall. Another message: This is everyday reality for people with disabilities who are significantly shorter than the average height.

To reach the event room, I had to navigated through a dark tunnel that organizers had constructed. As I meandered through the claustrophobic space, I could not see anything, and I struggled to go around obstacles with my hands and feet. Unfortunately, this is an experience all too common for someone who cannot see.

After traversing the frightening tunnel, I finally reached the event space. Twenty to 30 people in wheelchairs blocked the entrance, forcing me to apologize and suck in my stomach as I tried to get around them and into the room. Message received: This must be what it’s like for someone with a physical disability who is trying to enter a public restroom that is not accessible.

I finally reached my seat and opened an envelope with the agenda. It was in Braille. I don’t read Braille. I tried to close my eyes and imagine what it might say, but I couldn’t. This information was important, yet it was not available to someone like me who has different capabilities.

U.S. Ambassador Leslie A. Bassett and Director Of Employment Of the Paraguayan Ministry of Labor Cesar Martinez pose with Mario Marecos, a Paraguayan human rights activist and member of the National Commission of the Rights of People with Disabilities. / Chiara Pederzani

In the background, I could hear one of my favorite songs, Maxixe by Agustín Barrios. But this time, it was at a high pitch and too loud. Instead of being a song for the soul, it was an absolute nuisance to my ears.

When the music finally stopped, a woman took the floor and began to speak. I could not understand anything. She might have spoken in French and German, two very common languages, but incomprehensible to me.

Then a short film played on a giant screen. The film and sound were blurry and I could not understand what people were saying or what was being shown.

The whole experience lasted less than 30 minutes, but it worked. It was enough to make me feel totally excluded. I couldn’t get around. I could not understand the people around me. Everything felt narrow, too low, or too uncomfortable. I could not see well. Nothing was done to accommodate my needs.

I realized this is daily life for so many persons with disabilities.

No one should have to fight this way to live their lives. We can change it. We have to continue fighting for an accessible society, an inclusive Paraguay without barriers.

With the support of USAID, Fundación Saraki is working to make this a reality by raising awareness, influencing legislation, strengthening organizations for persons with disabilities, and promoting inclusion in work and education.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Giovanna Pederzani is a Paraguayan architect and an advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.

In a new Q&A series, we are profiling the experts who have worked tirelessly to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa and are helping societies rebuild and strengthen health systems in the aftermath of the outbreak.

Kama Garrison is a senior public health advisor for USAID’s Neglected Tropical Disease Program. ​For the Ebola response effort, she has been working on social mobilization with other agencies and partners.

What is social and behavior change communication (SBCC) and what role has it played in the Ebola response?

Within the context of Ebola, SBCC is critical to ending the epidemic. Ebola is an easily preventable disease; changing a few key behaviors can stop the virus from spreading further. And while health facilities and health care workers are absolutely essential in responding to an Ebola outbreak, the behaviors of individuals, families and communities are key to stopping it entirely.

Kama Garrison holds up the silhouette of a hand, echoing the wall of handprints from Ebola survivors at the Bong County Treatment Unit in Liberia. / Ellie Van Houtte, USAID

But SBCC isn’t just about telling people about Ebola, warning them to stop touching those who are sick or discouraging them from using traditional burial practices. It’s about carefully understanding a community’s cultural, religious and social beliefs so we can deliver meaningful, relevant and respectful messages and interventions.

Early on in the Ebola crisis, some fear-based messages made people feel powerless, hopeless and unable to act. Effective SBCC must be founded in the target population’s belief in their own ability to succeed; we seek to develop interventions that instill hope. Now, successful SBCC interventions have been developed to engage and better educate communities about Ebola.

Why is it critical to employ social and behavior change communication in a response like this?

Human behavior plays an important role in the spread of infectious diseases such as Ebola. Therefore, understanding the influence of behavior on the spread of disease can be the key to stopping disease transmission. Even if a new medical technology such as a vaccine is developed, people still have to trust that vaccine and choose to receive it – so addressing behavior is at the core of disease prevention and outbreak response.

But the motivations behind why people do what they do are complicated. People are complicated — our behaviors reflect our personal experiences, education, cultural/religious beliefs, community etc. SBCC seeks to understand these motivations. By using methods from psychology, anthropology, marketing and behavioral economics, we collect information and data about target populations to design suitable interventions that address the specific needs, beliefs and practices of the target populations.

Ebola survivors in Liberia leave their handprints on a wall of the Bong County Ebola Treatment Unit – the facility that saved their lives. / Adam Parr, USAID

What previous experiences with social and behavior change communication informed our Ebola response? How do you think those lessons that Ebola taught us will be relevant to future crisis responses?

In the past, I worked on SBCC and risk management for crises like the Avian Influenza and the 2009 H1N1/Swine Flu pandemic.

I’ve seen that large-scale outbreaks aren’t inevitable — that by working on preventative behaviors we can minimize the emergence of diseases and by strengthening response capacity, we can quickly contain them if they do emerge. But it isn’t easy. Food preferences, economics, and cultural and religious practices all contribute to the risks associated with emerging diseases. Those are difficult behaviors to address.

If prioritized, though, we can draw from proven solutions and make the necessary investments to prevent diseases such as Ebola from turning into regional or global epidemics.

What’s the next steps with these efforts?

The three affected countries aren’t out of the woods yet; there will be a continued focus on Ebola to end the epidemic in the region. Even after the end of this Ebola crisis, there will be a great need to rebuild trust in the health system so that children are immunized, women get appropriate maternal care, malaria is addressed, etc. SBCC is key to that trust building.

The Ebola outbreak has caused much pain and suffering. However, in the midst of the crisis many heroic stories have emerged. What has touched you the most?

Ebola has created thousands of orphans — they are the ultimate tragedy of this crisis. In that tragedy, heroes emerge every day, from families that take in extended relatives to single individuals who adopt orphaned children. Those are the stories that touch me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clara Wagner was an intern for USAID’s Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs working on content and public engagement.

Internally displaced women and children sit in a tent in Ganyiel village in South Sudan. Conflict since December 2013 has left tens of thousands dead and more than 2 million displaced and dependent on food aid. / Samir Bol, AFP

News that the Government of South Sudan expelled the United Nations’ top humanitarian official in the country on May 29 has sparked outrage.

Because South Sudan’s leaders and warring parties have put their struggle for power before the needs of their own people.

After nearly 18 months of fighting, the man-made crisis is only worsening. Renewed fighting, displacement and economic hardships have left the country on the brink of collapse.

And now they are punishing the brave humanitarians whose mission is to help the people of South Sudan.

All humanitarian staff — from the top UN official to truck drivers who deliver lifesaving food in highly insecure conditions — must be free to carry out their work and speak openly without fear of attack or retribution from the government, opposition forces or any other party.

Punishing those who are shining a light on the catastrophe in South Sudan creates a chilling effect and an atmosphere of fear for aid workers at a time when people need them most.

South Sudan — the world’s youngest country — is one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. Up to 4.6 million people — almost half of the population — will face life-threatening hunger by next month.

A woman carries a sack of food aid after a food drop in a field in Nyal, near South Sudan’s border with Sudan. USAID is the largest donor to the UN World Food Program in South Sudan. / Tony Karumba, AFP

Parts of the country are at risk of famine for the second year in a row. Desperate to feed their families, many South Sudanese have sold or slaughtered valuable cattle — and now have nothing left.

Conflict has forced more than 2 million people to flee their homes, half a million of them as refugees in neighboring countries. Tragically, many who fled have nothing to return to. Their homes, markets, schools and hospitals have been wiped out.

The number of severely malnourished children has doubled since the start of the crisis, and many people are at risk of deadly, but preventable, diseases.

The humanitarian community has done everything possible to alleviate the suffering amid widespread violence. USAID has been working in Sudan, including present-day South Sudan, for 35 years.

The U.S. government has long been the largest donor to South Sudan, providing $1.1 billion in emergency assistance alone to affected populations in South Sudan and neighboring countries since the start of the crisis.

USAID has also provided more than $1.3 billion in long-term assistance since South Sudan’s independence in 2011, directly helping the South Sudanese people withstand the catastrophic effects of conflict and build foundations for a peaceful future through education, health, agriculture and livelihoods assistance, as well as support for media, civil society and conflict mitigation.

Last year, the U.S. government, other donors and humanitarian actors helped avert the worst-case scenario of famine — only to see the same dynamics driving communities into extreme life-threatening hunger again this year. Time and again, we have had to resort to costly air operations to deliver food and relief items.

Women in Ganyiel, South Sudan, carry home food distributed by the World Food Program (WFP). USAID is the largest donor to WFP in South Sudan, where up to 4.6 million people — almost half of the population — will face life-threatening hunger by next month. / Waakhe Simon Wudu, AFP

Aid workers, particularly South Sudanese, risk their lives daily delivering lifesaving assistance to people in need throughout South Sudan. Several South Sudanese aid workers have disappeared while carrying out their humanitarian work. They remain unaccounted for. Others have been killed on the spot.

Renewed fighting since mid-April, including direct attacks on humanitarian workers and supplies, has severely reduced the ability of aid organizations to reach people in need.

At a time when multiple humanitarian emergencies worldwide demand international action, speaking candidly about the situation in South Sudan is critical to garner the vast support needed to keep people alive and ease suffering caused by this crisis.

Toby Lanzer advocated tirelessly on behalf of the people of South Sudan. Expelling him or silencing anyone who speaks about the dire situation in South Sudan is misguided and a grave disservice to the South Sudanese people.

The government should act responsibly, end the suffering, and move the country past this senseless cycle of violence.